The world’s 10 must-try dishes so iconic, the UN recognises them

Each year, along with its protection of ancient buildings, temples and natural wonders, UNESCO inscribes “intangible” parts of our cultural life. These could be saman dancing in Indonesia or polyphonic singing in Albania. Or it could be something delicious. The body recently awarded special status to Italian cuisine – a celebration of the nation’s culinary traditions – joining a list that includes Japanese sake, Belgian beer, Haitian joumou soup and Tajik rice dishes.

It’s a bold aim, hopefully ensuring that the tastiest parts of our lives are forever enshrined. And it makes a rather appetising bucket list for the gourmand traveller. If you’re the sort of holidaymaker who thinks a visit to Sri Lanka isn’t complete without sampling a banana-leaf lamprais, or a trip to Chicago doesn’t count without a deep-dish pizza, this is the list for you.

These are 10 of the world’s most iconic, UNESCO-listed dishes – and the street stands, family restaurants and market stalls where you can eat them. Once you’ve read through them, let us know which you have (or haven’t) had the pleasure of trying.

Tomyum kung, a spicy prawn soup from Thailand, was inscribed on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list in 2024 for its representation of the country’s culinary values. The fragrant broth is typically infused with locally grown herbs, including lemongrass, kaffir lime, galangal and chilli, plus prawns caught along the nation’s long coastline.

While its exact origins aren’t known, some historians believe the dish is a version of Indian “sour prawn soup”, brought to Thailand in the 14th century. Regardless, it’s a refreshing, heat-packing punch of a meal, and one visitors to the country should seek out.

Where to eat You’ll find variations across Thailand, but those in the know point to the tiny Mit Ko Yuan restaurant in Bangkok for the best version of the saffron-hued soup. Take a seat at one of the rickety wooden tables and slurp to your heart’s content.

Couscous is not exactly hard to find. The semolina-based grains are the bedrock of the salad bar, but are incomparable to the real thing, found across Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.

“There is not a wedding, a party or a family reunion without couscous,” according to the official UNESCO inscription, making it not just a speedy carbohydrate but also something inherent to life in those four nations. “It is therefore both a dish of the ordinary and the exceptional, associated with both joys and sorrows,” the report continues. A romantic legacy for something so humble.

Where to eat Given its quotidian origins, you can